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Adolf Hitler and Lord Voldemort, born worlds apart, the one is history while the other literary, a mundane being and one with magic, the other kills with guns while the other uses wands. With their distinct beginnings, life, and way of livings, they juxtaposed with their way of thinking.

In childhood and beginnings:

Hitler and Voldemort have uncommon beginnings. Voldemort was deserted by his father leaving him to his mother. Adolf had a strict and brutal father who was very disapproving of him. Tom’s mother was empathetic and loving towards his son and so was young Adolf’s mother who was always supportive and loving. What unifies them most in childhood is that they were terribly unhappy, and both felt hatred toward their fathers.

Who pulled the trigger?

As adolescence came to dwell they slowly found themselves in their road to ambition. Adolescent Tom was excellent in all his academic subjects while at Hogwarts. After learning that his muggle (non-magical) father left her mother (witch) to death and misery, his hatred for muggles grew and blossomed as he finished school.

Adolf in the other hand pursued Arts in Vienna after his father died. Unfortunately the artworks that he presented were rejected by the professor. In addition of having a difficult time accepting his rejection, his mother died of cancer. In time he had known that the professor that rejected his artwork was a Jew and so did the doctor that was responsible for his mother’s death, that became the solid ground of his hatred for the Jews. During these stages in both of their lives, they developed a hatred of no other kind that caused the death and misery of many.

The Path to Terror

How they acquire supreme power is the question. Tom Riddle was not socially interactive back in Hogwarts but in terms of achievement he clearly caught the eye of his professors and headmaster that he was given an Award for Special Services to the School. Adolf Hitler enlisted in the military during the World War 1 in Germany. He was said to be not that much of a good mixer and rarely went out with his comrades due to his lack of his social skills. But what he lack socially he made up in field work where he proved himself to be an asset for his bravery. Though he may have been unpopular with his comrades, his bravery was recognised by his officers. Hitler was awarded Germany’s highest award for bravery—the Iron Cross.

Tom Riddle started to spread his influence at school. He gathered allies who also believe in the same ideology (pureblood). Hitler worked within the Education Department of the army, his work is to conduct lectures for the returning soldiers about the the dangers of communism, socialism, and pacifism. This was the time that he discovered his talent, weapon, his greatest skill—public oratory. Tom Riddle also discovered his, as it was shown how he persuaded Professor Slughorn to tell him about the Horcrxes, and when Hepzibah Smith showed him her magical heirlooms. Both are skilled in persuasion. The way they spoke their words were their key to gain loyal supporters.

The Uncanny similarity:

The Ideology

After gaining masses of audiences and supporters, both tyrants started to spread reign and terror among multitudes. Hitlers oppresses the Jews. Voldemort tormented the Muggleborns. Here comes the pivotal parallelism they both share. Adolf Hitler is RUMORED to be part jewish yet he despises anyone of jewish heritage. He was a brown haired with piercing blue eyes who claimed that blue eyes and blond hair was the master race. Lord Voldemort was not a pureblood himself but his goal was to purify the Wizarding race against muggle-borns, and half-bloods which is where he belongs. They promote ideologies that both of them were not a part of.

Friends and Foes

Hitler had the Nazi’s at his hand while Voldemort had the Death Eaters at his command. Both strike fear to their enemies and simply followed their orders to kill men that are similar to the men they serve. And then there are the Snatchers who were formed by Lord Voldemort when he took control of the Ministry of Magic. They were an informal group to catch Muggle-borns and Half-bloods. The counterpart of the Snatchers to Hitler’s regime is the Gestapo, Hitler’s secret police who rounds up the jews. They both act in secrecy, spreading fear that they would strike at random. They even kidnap, murder, and terrorize those who speak out against them.

Ways and Methods

In order to acquire additional power and finance, Hitler tried to get the support of families with strong German heritage. While Lord Voldemort’s supporters were those from the oldest wizarding families like the Malfoys. Voldemort had his own signature, “The Dark Mark” while Hitler used “Swastika” which he adapted from the Hindus. Re-envisioning themselves, Tom Riddle changed his name to Lord Voldemort to get rid of his muggle name, while Adolf Hitler claimed his own title “Der Führer” which means the leader.

In light of everything I strongly believe that they weren’t monsters at birth but they were made one by experience. As Professor Slughorn once told Harry “If a monster existed, it was buried deep within.” If only Tom had accepted his heritage and if Adolf dwelt more into the arts, many lives could’ve been spared in fiction and in reality.

They may have different ways of capturing and killing their victims but their common denominator is that with contempt and scorn to their bloodline which they could not change, it became their fuel and catalyst to their plans of global domination.

The Pureblood Ideology is not that twisted at all when it is well thought of. It is also beneficial in some ways. It serves as a safety precaution and protection against foreign influence. It could preserve the community and the citizens to be true to their essence and to stick to their natural roots. But in the minds of Voldemort and Hitler where the ideology is tainted with personal motivation and ambition it could resort to destruction instead of construction.

“It takes a great deal of history to produce a little literature.”

- Henry James

Fiction literature isn’t pure fiction at all. J.K. Rowling may or may not use Hitler’s history as an inspiration for the character of Lord Voldemort. We are assured that in every fantasy book there is always a glimpse of reality. And with the use of a little literature we have the power in our hands to turn realities and histories that were once forgotten into stories that the next generation will soon to read.